Downwind Daze.

[DavidJohn]

It's the middle of winter here in Oz and yesterday we got enough wind for a nice little downwinder.

[dk78]

Very nice video!

[Dusk Patrol]

Great video! Not a bad winter, either ...

[Area 10]

That’s really good. Very relaxing to watch.

It certainly shows how good that Maliko is in those conditions. As a demonstration of the advantages of that board, it could hardly be better. Of course, it needs the right rider too though

And my Balin leash is my go-to leash for DW too. I’ve got many leashes but it is the only one that puts together all the little things you need when downwinding. Do you ever use it with a waist belt?

[Night Wing]

@ DJ

Nice to see another DW video from you. Looked like another good DW session for you and your friends.

BTW, the gal wearing orange colored shirt and black pants, that red and white colored board is the one that caught my eye. That is a sweet looking board. Looks easy to DW paddle and I'm guessing it would make a good flat water paddler too.

Thanks for always making and sharing your DW videos here on the "Zone".

[Dusk Patrol]

^ NW that red board is a Jimmy Lewis M-14. It's a great board but in flat water its effectively a 12'6"er.

[Eagle]

Yep is easy to DW paddle the M14 in conditions like that by staying way forward and catching everything.  But where it shines are big DW conditions by just taking a couple steps back and surfing off the tail.

On flat the 28" is very sluggish vs narrower boards with displacement noses.  Can do -> but just feels slow and very splashy comparatively.  So for sure a fantastic big conditions board.  But in smaller DW conditions is perfectly ok with a small fin like the SIC 7.0 allowing more speed and more side slip.  Makes the ride a lot more fun and engaging.

[JEG]

 

[Badger]

Aren't you jumping ahead a bit DJ? It's still autumn. Winter begins on June 21st.

Speaking of the M-14, yes it has a long nose overhang and short waterline for a 14 footer, making it comparatively slow on flatwater but it makes up for it in its surfing and downwind ability.

.

[DavidJohn]

That’s really good. Very relaxing to watch.

It certainly shows how good that Maliko is in those conditions. As a demonstration of the advantages of that board, it could hardly be better. Of course, it needs the right rider too though

And my Balin leash is my go-to leash for DW too. I’ve got many leashes but it is the only one that puts together all the little things you need when downwinding. Do you ever use it with a waist belt?

I have tried a waist leash but prefer the knee/calf.
It would be good if Camelbak made a bum-bag system with sturdy belt system that you could attach a waist leash to.

[Area 10]

That’s really good. Very relaxing to watch.

It certainly shows how good that Maliko is in those conditions. As a demonstration of the advantages of that board, it could hardly be better. Of course, it needs the right rider too though

And my Balin leash is my go-to leash for DW too. I’ve got many leashes but it is the only one that puts together all the little things you need when downwinding. Do you ever use it with a waist belt?

I have tried a waist leash but prefer the knee/calf.
It would be good if Camelbak made a bum-bag system with sturdy belt system that you could attach a waist leash to.

Yeah I’ve often thought that too. If you wear a waist hydration system plus a quick-release belt, they can often get mixed up with each other rendering the belt a very slow release one, which can be pretty dangerous. Ideally you’d want the Camelbak belt to be one continuous piece of webbing with the bag bit sewn to that rather than being 3 pieces sewn together as at present. And you’d want the belt and buckle to be more substantial. I should probably make one myself I guess... but then if you had to let your leash go you’d also lose your bag which is a vital safety aid... hmm, requires some thought.

[Off-Shore]

That’s really good. Very relaxing to watch.

It certainly shows how good that Maliko is in those conditions. As a demonstration of the advantages of that board, it could hardly be better. Of course, it needs the right rider too though

And my Balin leash is my go-to leash for DW too. I’ve got many leashes but it is the only one that puts together all the little things you need when downwinding. Do you ever use it with a waist belt?

I have tried a waist leash but prefer the knee/calf.
It would be good if Camelbak made a bum-bag system with sturdy belt system that you could attach a waist leash to.

Yeah I’ve often thought that too. If you wear a waist hydration system plus a quick-release belt, they can often get mixed up with each other rendering the belt a very slow release one, which can be pretty dangerous. Ideally you’d want the Camelbak belt to be one continuous piece of webbing with the bag bit sewn to that rather than being 3 pieces sewn together as at present. And you’d want the belt and buckle to be more substantial. I should probably make one myself I guess... but then if you had to let your leash go you’d also lose your bag which is a vital safety aid... hmm, requires some thought.

Since moving to the US I've started wearing a full PFD for big downwind runs, with a pocket in the back for a hydration pack. It is possible to connect a waist leash to the pfd, but when I use a waist leash I use the belt that comes with the leash that secures around my middle. From a safety point of view there is no chance to mix up anything if I have to release the waist leash belt in an emergency.

[crazybula]

Bahahaha!

How good is MJ with the undercarriage check at the start of the vid!

[Area 10]

Offshore - can you swim in your pfd? My problem with full pfds is that you can’t swim in many of them. But my best bet to survive if I got seperated from my board would be to swim to shore (possibly having operated my PLB). If I’m injured but not seperated from my board then I’d stay with my board. If I’m injured and separated from my board and can’t swim, I’d probably die of hypothermia before anyone would find me. I suppose the pfd would keep my body afloat which would be useful for my wife and kids for insurance purposes though, if they found it.

[Off-Shore]

Offshore - can you swim in your pfd? My problem with full pfds is that you can’t swim in many of them. But my best bet to survive if I got seperated from my board would be to swim to shore (possibly having operated my PLB). If I’m injured but not seperated from my board then I’d stay with my board. If I’m injured and separated from my board and can’t swim, I’d probably die of hypothermia before anyone would find me. I suppose the pfd would keep my body afloat which would be useful for my wife and kids for insurance purposes though, if they found it.

Area10, You have a good point. I only wear when it is big conditions, and then if the shore was not too far away I'd most likely take it off or tow it (I have a braid of paracord on it for this purpose). In these big conditions I always paddle with others and we stick together and would alert the coast guard if one of us did not show. But if all else fails, I'd pull the pin on the PLB and call on the VHF... One hopes that plans and careful consideration of the conditions would prevent this ever happening (including staying on shore if necessary).